The Gift
by Shinoda Senshi
Summary: Jeff Hardy proves to be the gift that keeps on giving. *Warning: Contains m/m slash*
1. ONE

**The Gift**

He had meant for it to be a wonderful surprise. Even though Mark had told him over and over that he did not _do_ birthdays. Said that Jeff didn't _need_ to get him a present. The man would soon learned that Jeff Hardy did not take instruction. Not when it was so blatantly obvious that Mark wouldn't ask for what he wanted. He was too busy being rough and tough to admit that he even had needs beyond the very basic. Mark styled himself to be a hard man, which was a difficult reputation to maintain. All Jeff had tried to do was offer him a moment where he didn't have to be a badass. Maybe a chance to mend some fences. Nothing wrong with that.

Jeff had adhered Mark's direct orders in some regards. Not throwing a birthday party, for instance. No decorations or acknowledgement that the day was any different from the others. Still, Jeff could not go without a cake. He'd refrained from adding candles or any indicators that it was anything other than an ordinary cake. Nothing special about them enjoying dessert after an equally ordinary dinner that Jeff had prepared himself. An ordinary, run of the mill, not special in the slightest kind of day.

Except for Jeff's present.

In truth, he had followed Mark's decree to the letter. Jeff had not _bought_ him anything. The money he spent did not go to Mark directly. A few phone calls, a bit of leg work, and, finally, a plane ticket.

A bit of gratitude would have been nice. Jeff had put in a lot of time and effort. He thought Mark would have been happy. It wasn't every day that his estranged brother walked through his front door.

Mark rarely talked about his past. His family and where he had grown up. From his telling, one would think he had sprouted from the earth as a fully grown man. He took no trips down memory lane kept no photo albums or mementoes. As if those early years had never happened.

In an unguarded moment, Mark had told him about his brother. The fire that claimed the lives of his parents and left his younger sibling terribly scarred. Jeff sensed a great sadness in the man he had come to care for. Once the moment passed, Mark pretended as if it had never happened. Too late. Jeff had seen the wounds in his heart and promised himself to mend them.

It wasn't too hard to find Kane. Jeff had only to look for articles on the devastating fire in Mark's home town. A quick internet search soon struck gold. Once he had a name to go on, the rest fell into place. The damaged man had required a lot of therapy, both physical and mental. Having put the tragedies behind him, Kane had started up a rather successful Information Technology firm. They specialized in cleaning up client's online reputations.

Kane had not exactly jumped at the chance to be reunited with his kin. It took a lot of prodding on Jeff's part. He pushed aside any doubts the man had. Mark would love to see him, Jeff had promised. It would be a wonderful surprise.

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

Not the words Jeff had been expecting . After meeting Kane before the big reveal, he realized that the two brothers were cut from the same cloth. Both big in size and bravado. They buried their emotions and encircled their hearts with barbed wire so no one could get close. Like Mark, Jeff sensed Kane was more than the front he put up. There was intelligence in those blue eyes, along with vulnerability. He welcomed reconciliation, but only if Mark took the first step.

The step Mark took in the living room was not the sort to foster good feelings. Hands balled into fists, nostrils flaring, Mark was a bull just looking for a china shop. "Get out of my house!"

Kane shrugged his massive shoulders. "Fine." He looked down at Jeff. "Nice meeting you. Good luck with that."

Even though he was outmatched in weight and height, Jeff tried to stop him from leaving. "Wait!" Placing his hand on Kane's chest was like trying to slow a roaring locomotive with a gingerbread house. "Wait just a damn minute!" Kane paused. Head tilted slightly to the side, as if he were studying Jeff. "You've traveled too far to let it end like this."

"Not my call." He tried to side step, but Jeff cut into his path. "If your cuddle bear wants to throw me out, there's nothing I can do about it."

Jeff would be the judge of that. "Give me five minutes."

"Five minutes ain't gonna fix that." Kane shook his head. "You seem like a nice guy, Jeff, but that…" He hitched his thumb over his shoulder, pointing in his brother's direction. "That right there is just plain ugly."

Mark growled, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

Even though he pulled with all his might, Kane managed to drag Jeff a few feet as he stalked towards what could only be a violent confrontation. "You got something to say to me, dipshit?" Kane matched his sibling growl for growl. "If so, say it to my face."

"Your face is the problem. Or haven't you noticed?"

"Stop it!" Jeff flung himself between the two behemoths before fists could start flying. "Stop fighting! This is supposed to be a happy moment! Why the fuck aren't you happy?" Jeff gulped air like a drowning man, struggling to maintain control of the situation. "I went to a lot of trouble to make this reunion happen. The least the two of you could do is talk over your differences instead of butting heads like a pair of contesting stags."

Mark took a few steps back, still seething. "What do you want to say? Thank you, Kane, for setting our house on fire. Thank you, Kane, for getting our parents killed. Thank you, Kane, for ruining my life."

"_Your_ life?" Kane bellowed loud enough to wake the devil. "Tell me, Mark. Which one of us got to walk away unscathed? My _face_ is only the tip of the deformed iceberg. You have a man that probably loves you more than you deserve and yet you still try to put on this pity party. Well boo-fucking-hoo for you, Mark."

While Jeff had encouraged talking over busting noses and splitting lips, the conversation was not heading in the healing direction he hoped for. "We've all made mistakes. Done things we wish we could take back. That's what life is. A series of fuck ups and recoveries. The past can't be changed, but the future isn't set in stone." He set pleading eyes on Mark. "Don't spend the rest of your life angry. You don't have to like each other. But he's your brother, Mark. He's blood. You've got to at least try."

Mark refused to look at Jeff or his brother. He kept his eyes on the doorway beyond them. "If he won't go and you won't let him leave, then I'm out of here. I don't need either of you."

Too beaten down and heartbroken to stop him, Jeff could only watch as he walked out the door. In typical Mark fashion, he slammed it shut. A lump formed in his throat as he heard the engine of a motorcycle roar into life. Mark was gone.

"Sorry, Jeff." Kane patted his shoulder, a simple gesture of comfort. "But Mark and I aren't the loving type. We don't know how and are too old to learn."

Jeff willed his knees to hold strong. He would not fall apart or give up that easily. "Too stubborn, you mean." He did not expect Kane to laugh.

"That, too, probably." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm gonna catch the first flight out in the morning. It really was nice to meet you, Jeff. If my asshole of a brother ever manages to get his act together, he'll be lucky to have you in his corner."

Assuming Mark would want him there at all. Jeff could not let Kane leave under such horrible circumstances. He didn't deserve to have his evening completely ruined. "Wait a minute. Don't leave yet."

He excused himself to the kitchen to make a quick phone call. Jeff had the number on speed dial. "Chris, it's me. Don't talk, just listen. You remember me telling you about my plan to surprise Mark with his brother?"

"Blew up in your face, didn't it?"

"Not why I'm calling."

Chris chuckled. "You owe me twenty bucks, man."

"Put it on my tab." A pounding headache bloomed behind Jeff's eyes. "Listen, I need a favor. Can you take Kane out tonight? Show him around. Bar hop or whatever. I don't want his visit to be a total waste."

"Did it ever occur to you, Jeffrey, that I might have plans?"

"Cancel the pizza, save the porn for another night, and get your pretty ass over here."

"Since you asked so nicely," grumbled Chris. "What's this guy like?"

How could Jeff describe Kane in a way to entice his friend to do his bidding? "You know Mark, right?"

"More than I would like."

"Kane's the opposite of that."

There was a moment of silence on the line. "Give me twenty minutes."

"Thanks," Jeff sighed. He disconnected the call.

That was one obstacle taken care of. The other would prove more difficult to deal with. Unlike Kane, Mark wore his scars on the inside. Painful and raw, Mark would not let them be soothed by anyone. He was intent on spending the rest of his life in agony. Jeff loved him too much to let that happen.


	2. TWO

**The Gift**

Jeff was well into his second slice of cake when he heard the front door open. He did not jump up and rush over to barrage the man with endless questions. Instead, he licked the frosting from his fork and waited. For four hours, Jeff had paced and worried, only to eventually give in to the mild comfort the cake provided. Two more minutes wouldn't kill him.

"You're still here." Mark paused as he entered the kitchen. He didn't sound mad. Only surprised.

Jeff slowly chewed a mouthful of cake. "Yup." He gave his dessert his undivided attention. Cake did not disappoint him. Cake did not walk out on him. It was fluffy and delicious and did not hurt his feelings.

Edging around the perimeter of the room, Mark kept his distance. "Where's Kane?"

"Not here." Another forkful of cake entered his mouth. He used his tongue to collect the crumbs that clung to his bottom lip.

"He went home?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really."

"Then don't ask stupid questions."

Mark ventured a few steps in Jeff's direction. "Have you been drinking?"

"Do be so cliché." Jeff's laugh was unsettlingly dark. "I am perfectly sober. Can say my ABCs frontwards and backwards."

Having run into a conversational dead end, Mark tried backing up. "How long have you been sitting here?"

Jeff decided he would love cake more than Mark. Cake did not pester him with stupid questions. All cake wanted was to be eaten. Jeff granted that wish. "Does it matter?"

He did not expect Mark to slam his fist down on the table or hurl a chair across the room. "Damn it, Jeff, don't be this way!"

"What way?" he hollered. Jeff had a temper, too, and could unleash it just as violently. "You mean _not caring_, Mark? Not giving a damn that you walked out on me, storming off in some temper tantrum with me not knowing where you're going? Being perfectly okay with you not answering your phone for four _fucking_ hours? Not worrying and wondering if you're drunk off your ass or dead in a ditch somewhere? What does caring get me, Mark? Nothing but a broken heart and an extra five pounds after I demolish your entire birthday cake!"

Silence hung in the air. Thick and seemingly unending. Jeff breathed heavily. His heart pounded a frantic beat in his chest. Anger was all he had to give him strength. Anger and cake.

"You have to care." Mark spoke softly, his dark eyes searching for kindness in Jeff's face. "You have to care because you're the only one that does. The only one who would ever raise their voice to me." He took a wary step towards Jeff. "I've flattened guys bigger than you for even trying." Another step and he was by Jeff's side. "I want you to care."

Jeff struggled to hold on to his anger as it threatened to evaporate under the force of Mark's sweet tone. He did not want sweetness. He wanted rage. Uncontrollable and without end. He wanted to smack March across the face. Punch him. Kick him. Hurt him as much as he could.

The second Mark touched his cheek, Jeff knew he was not that person. He would fight for Mark, not with him. He wanted to ease the burden on those broad shoulders, not add to it. Show Mark that he wasn't alone in the world.

"Kane cares." Jeff turned his back on the cake and let his anger subside. "He wouldn't have come all this way if he didn't."

Mark's heavy sigh threatened Jeff's heart. "Somehow, you've gotten it into your head that me and Kane are supposed to be like you and Matt. Not all brothers build decks together or go scuba diving or prank each other on April Fool's Day. Kane and I have too much stuff in the way."

"Stuff that doesn't have to be there. I'm not saying the two of you are going to become best friends and talk every day and develop your own secret language. But the fact of the matter is that Kane is here. That's a start." He placed his hand on Mark's chest. "He's family, Mark. It's worth a shot."

Warm lips pressed against his as Mark ended the discussion on his terms. Jeff allowed it because kissing Mark was better than a lifetime's worth of birthday cakes. Thick fingers tangled in his hair as Mark's tongue delved into his mouth.

"You taste sweet," Mark murmured, tipping Jeff's head back. He sucked on Jeff's lips, savoring the flavor.

Being devoured by Mark was so high on Jeff's list of favorite things, it took up three whole slots. "Frosting." Mark laughed against his mouth and only the strong arm around his waist kept his knees from buckling. Only that man could fill a sinister chuckle with such sinful promise.

"I like frosting on you. Got any more?"

Jeff knew of an entire, unopened jar in the cabinet under the counter. It was only a few feet away. All he had to do was disentangle himself from Mark and retrieve it. He'd be away for only a few seconds. Except Mark was so big and warm. A hand wandered under Jeff's shirt. Fingertips traced up and down is spine. How was he supposed to pull himself away from that?

Once again, the cake gave him strength. All that rich, gooey frosting coating every inch. Jeff could spread it all over Mark and take his sweet time licking it off.

"Don't move." Jeff acted swiftly. Rushing across the kitchen and grabbing the canister. He ripped it open, plotting to use it in ways the manufacturer had not intended. Jeff dipped his finger in the sweet stuff. Words were not necessary. Mark fully understood.

Mark's mouth closed around the offered digit. Tongue swirling and lips sucking. He swallowed the smooth cream but did not let the finger go. Jeff Hardy – crazy, sweet, and sexy – was all his.

Reluctantly, Jeff withdrew his finger from that glorious mouth. He was the one supposed to do the tasting, not Mark. Singlehanded, he unbuttoned Mark's shirt. Not stopping until the full expanse of his broad chest was on display. It might have been Mark's birthday, but Jeff would be having the most fun.

"You've got ideas," Mark said, grinning like a wolf having come across his favorite kind of prey. "I like it when you get ideas."

Jeff scooped out as much frosting as would fit on his finger. "Then you're gonna love this." He smoothed the frosting down Mark's chest. From his collar to his belly button. A trail of decadence his tongue would happily follow.

Dark eyes watched as he started from the bottom. Slowly licking his way up his lover's body. He took a detour here and there, the tip of his tongue tracing the outline of various tattoos. Mark shuddered as Jeff paid special attention to the artwork. By the time Jeff reached the dip below his throat, he was ready for a second coating.

Not since the night he lost virginity had Mark fumbled with his clothing. He blamed his unsure fingers on the tongue circling his nipple. There was another part of him that ached for similar treatment. If only he could manage to get his zipper down.

Absolute happiness, Jeff reasoned, was his lover's hard cock and a full can of frosting. Such a divine combination they would create.

However, he did not forget his earlier ill treatment. Some form of punishment was in order.

"Do you need me, Mark?" He tried to keep his tone as light and innocent as possible.

Mark did his best not to thrust the neediest part of himself at his lover. "Obviously."

Stirring his finger in the frosting, Jeff reasoned he would have to do better than that. Actions may have spoken louder than words, but his Mark was a screamer. He spread the cream across Mark's navel, filling in the little dip. Then he continued south until he reached the dense patch of hair surrounding the base of Mark's dick.

"Say it, Mark." Jeff lowered himself to his knees, keeping his eyes on his goal. "Tell me you need me."

At that moment, covered in frosting and spit, with the man he loved more than anyone else on the planet about to feast on his flesh, Mark could not even tell him his last name. "You know I do."

Not good enough.

Jeff pressed his lips around Mark's belly button and sucked. He was soon gifted with a sweet taste and an even sweeter moan from that normally unshakeable man. The ender of bar brawls swore loudly as Jeff's tongue dove into his navel, searching out every last bit. After licking it clean, he traveled down until Mark's hard length rubbed against his chin.

"I need you!" Mark gave in to the truth. "I need you and want you and love you and am about ready to die if you don't show me just how much you love me, too."

Desperate was not a quality often attributed to Mark. Strong, yes. Hot headed, definitely. Stubborn beyond the point of reason, every day of his life. Desperate, however, remained rare.

As he stood in his kitchen with his lover's mouth inches from his dick and a can of frosting at the ready, Mark Calloway was a direly desperate man.

At long last, Jeff took him in hand. Wrapped his fingers around Mark's shaft and gave him a slow, loving stroke. Mark's moans filled the room as Jeff showed proof of his affection. Something was missing, though. A sweet bonus to Mark's mouthwatering flavor.

Gripping the back of a chair for balance, Mark watched him smear a dollop of frosting on the head of his cock. Giving it a thick coat of cream. A shiver ran up his spine as sparkling hazel eyes gazed up at him, at both times angelic and enticing. The tip of a perfect pink tongue darted out for a quick taste. It flicked at the frosting and barely grazed his skin. Soon, it sought out more. Jeff used his whole tongue. Lapping greedily until all the frosting as well as Mark's self-control were gone.

By the time he received a second coating, Mark would have been ready to let his brother move into the extra bedroom. Grasping him firmly, Jeff smeared the frosting across his lips. So reminiscent of another creamy substance that Mark could barely control his hips. His need to be consumed and surrounded by Jeff's mouth obliterated all other thoughts.

"Tastes good, Mark." He smacked his lips loudly and lewdly. "Gonna have to buy this more often. Maybe clear the shelves."

Jeff made short work of the frosting on Mark's dick. Licking and sucking until there was nothing left. Once he had his lips on him, he could not stop. Jeff went into autopilot. Slurping down the entire length, not content until he had all of Mark's thick cock down his throat. The frosting was momentarily forgotten as he indulged in oral pleasure. Not just for his lover. Jeff adored the texture of the shaft as it slid between his lips. The press of the fat head at the back of his throat. He moaned in delight at every inch he managed to swallow but there always remained some that eluded him. Try as he might, even to the point of gagging, he could not have it all. He settled for wrapping his hand around the exposed part, jerking it as he sucked.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Jeff grinned at his handiwork. His lover's cock slick with spit. His spit. Only Jeff was permitted to worship Mark in such a manner. To kneel at the feet of his sex god and be proclaimed the best and most loved. Jeff dipped his fingers into the frosting. Anointing the flesh with its goodness. Thick fingers twisted in his hair as he resumed his task.

Mark could not control his hips. He held Jeff's head steady as he pumped in and out of that perfect mouth. Each thrust drove him deeper into his wet heat. Frosting covered Jeff's lips and chin as Mark continued to fuck his beautiful face. "Need you, Jeff… Need you so fucking much…"

A tingle started at the base of Mark's spine. It spread across his entire body. His hips faltered. His fingers tightened. Two deep thrusts later, he gave Jeff his gift. Pumping it into his waiting, willing mouth.

Sighing softly, Jeff welcomed the first stream of spunk as it splattered onto his tongue. Salty and delicious. He sucked greedily at the pulsating cock between his lips. Hungry for every last drop of come. So much better than frosting.

Mark hated to pull out, but he knew the fun had only just begun. He helped Jeff to his feet and kissed the frosting from his face. There was another flavor on his lover's lips. Not the kind found on a grocery store shelf.

"Happy birthday," Jeff said. His eyes could barely focus as his mind wandered to all the uses they would find for the rest of the frosting.

"Not a bad one, at that." He didn't bother fixing his clothes. They would both be naked soon enough. "Why don't you phone Kane and invite him out for lunch? It'll be the three of us, mind you. We might need a referee."

Jeff quickly placed the call to Kane's hotel room. The sooner the arrangements were made the sooner he got his hands on mark. Hands and mouth and ass. So many wonderful parts demanded that man's attention.

"Hello?"

The man who answered was not Kane, but the voice was still familiar. "Chris? Why are you answering the phone?"

"Oh, Kane went to get some ice."

Perhaps Jeff had not been clear. "Chris, why are you in Kane's hotel room?"

"Well, it turns out Kane isn't into bar hopping but he loves diner food. So I took him to that place I told you about. Gypsy's. Well, we closed down the place and didn't really want the night to end, so we headed back here."

Jeff tried to choose his words carefully. With Mark as his audience, he didn't want to trigger another violent outburst. "And what is it you intend on doing?"

"Relax, Jeffrey. You know I'm not that kind of guy. I barely know Kane. I'm not about to jump into bed with him."

"Good." Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was Mark to beat the living shit out of Chris for compromising his baby brother's virtue. Even if the two of them were barely on speaking terms.

"Still, seeing as he's leaving town tomorrow, I might suck his dick. Kind of a going away present."

Jeff nearly snapped the phone in his fist. "Chris Jericho, don't you dare!"

"Unclench your asshole, Jeffrey. I said I _might_. Haven't made up my mind yet. Although, I would love to make those baby blues roll back in his head."

It was official. His best friend was a slut. But a good-hearted slut who came through for Jeff in the clinch and hadn't made any mention of Kane's scars.

"Listen, Mark wants to meet Kane for lunch tomorrow. Can you give him the message and have him call us in the morning."

"Sure thing." Chris paused. "Hey, Jeff? Can I ask you something?"

"If it's to borrow a condom, you're on your own."

"Thanks, pal, but that's not it." Another pause. "In your research, did you happen to learn which way Kane leans? I mean, I think he likes me, but he's a bit difficult to read."

Jeff was not having that conversation. Not when he had thick dick waiting for him. "Good night, Chris Jericho. You strange, horny man." He hung up the phone.

Mark cleared his throat loudly. "Am I to assume from the one-sided dialogue I overheard that Chris Jericho is currently in my brother's hotel room?"

"You can assume that," said Jeff.

"Is he staying the night?"

Jeff rubbed his forehead. His headache threatened to return. "Possibly."

Standing stock still, Mark could only blink for several long seconds. "Bring the frosting," he finally said. "I'm gonna need to fuck you until I don't want to kill him anymore."

Jeff smirked. "Long night, then."

**END**


End file.
